How many of you worry about "parabens"....

carrie630October 12, 2012

... in cosmetics, hair products, etc.?

I feel like I am behind the times. I only found out about parabens last week... I've used Cetaphil, foundation, Roc creams, etc. etc. all with parabens... not to mention hair products which also contain parabens.

It seems the more I am reading about this preservative, the more I am worried. Apparently, this is one toxin that stays in your body... and mimics estrogen.

Anyone care to comment on "parabens"... I am stressed about this information and feel rather "dumb" that I am JUST NOW finding out about it (although many I have talked to had never heard of it either). It seems that the information about how potentially harmful it is has been out for several years!

I try to avoid them when I can. I imagine the controversy is not really publicized because of how prevalent they are in everything. I do believe that the high amounts of breast cancer, especially in young women, are partially linked to conventional deodorant usage. They have found parabens in breast cancer tumors but it's not an accepted definite link yet. It makes sense to me though and that's enough for me to change my habits.

No need to feel dumb. You can't change what you've used in the past but you can change what you do now, and in the future. The problem is that many people care more about vanity than health so it's difficult to avoid completely because parabens and other nasties are in everything. I just go for natural as much as I can - coconut oil for moisturizer, baking soda for deodorant, paraben and sulfate-free shampoos.

You also have to watch the labels because some products will claim to be paraben or sulfate free but if you look at the ingredients, it will contain some derivative of the bad stuff.